Bruce Staley

Recently my wife emphatically reflected out loud,  "We are spoilt!" I wholeheartedly agreed. We were sitting at table following our evening meal. The past three years had been difficult. My recovery from heart bypass surgery hadn't been all plain sailing.  However, we had received wonderful support throughout. It had come from all quarters, the medical professionals, family and friends. My wife went on to ask, "Why us?" I thought afterwards I could have responded with, "Why not us?" However, I didn't but responded with the thought that we had been spoilt so that we could spoil others. I had in mind the passage in Ephesians where the Apostle Paul writes, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us." Ephesians 1:7‭-‬8 NIV In difficult times we had experienced the lavishness of the riches of God grace and we in turn could help others experience s...

The word disruptive conjures up images of hooligan sports fans, or drunken revellers spilling out onto the street in the early hours of the morning displaying behaviour without consideration  for the harm they may inflict upon persons or property. Disruptive technology maybe another thought, and the disruption it brings to accepted business practices such as Uber and the taxi industry. Years ago the advent of the quartz movement and digital technology brought seismic upheaval to the Swiss watchmaking industry.  See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz_crisis There are many examples of disruption where the pattern of the past has been cast aside.However, take a few moments to ponder the disruption brought by the amazing grace of God. God's grace is disruptive. It brings change of seismic proportions to the patterns of behaviour of individuals, communities and nations. In biblical times Zaccheaus the grasper became the giver, Paul the persecutor became the preacher, the n...

Day Five: Lord, what a morning! A walk before heading to Barwon Heads again for lunch... The river... The boardwalk... From Rocky Point... A safe haven... On the track again... The promise of spring... Barwon Heads where the river meets the sea... Steps to the Bluff... Til tomorrow...

Day Four: I had hoped to walk from Point Impossible back to Torquay on the Surf Coast track this morning. See http://www.surfcoastwalk.com.au/ However, there was water over the road into the Point. Instead, not to be denied, I drove to Brimlea and walked along the coastline to the Point. On my way... Far... Near... And... On to Barwon Heads for lunch... From Barwon Bluff... The bridge at Barwon Heads... I've placed this post under additional categories. They all apply personally for I am seeking God during my August Interlude of rest, relaxation and reflection. Til tomorrow...

Pop-up food venues have become popular. Food trucks and stalls are popping up, and down, all year round. Food vendors congregate, set up tables and chairs, and in no time people arrive to whet their appetite and enjoy conversation with like-minded others. Sharing food is so often conducive to meaningful conversations. Food addresses our physical hunger and eating with others can satisfy our social needs. Important as these experiences are to our wellbeing Discovery Bible Study groups go beyond that to address our deeper spiritual needs. Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’  ” Matthew 4:4 NIV People, who are searching and spiritually hungry, come together to feed on the Word of God in a Discovery group. They encourage one another and seek answers to the question, "Having read this passage how then shall I live?" They are open to the Spirit of God and are prepared to step out in obedience when t...

Always Looking Up is the title of Michael J Fox’s second book. The first was Lucky Man . Michael of course is familiar for his roles in the Spin City TV series and the movie series of Back to the Future. Particular emphasis is given to the establishment of the Michael J Fox Foundation to drive for research into Parkinson’s disease, Michael’s involvement in politics and the importance he places on faith and family. While “always looking up” as the sole principle for one’s life is questionable - looking down may help you to avoid tripping, or looking sideways or for that matter looking both ways may avoid a nasty accident, or valuable lessons may be learnt from looking back and looking ahead may be helpful in negotiating what the future may hold – Michael thoughtfully explains his book contains the adventures of an incurable optimist. Lance Armstrong, Christopher Reeve and Muhammad Ali are just a few of the names he mentions, people who significantly influenced him during his transition...

Always Looking Up is the title of Michael J Fox’s second book. The first was Lucky Man . Michael of course is familiar for his roles in the Spin City TV series and the movie series of Back to the Future. Particular emphasis is given to the establishment of the Michael J Fox Foundation to drive for research into Parkinson’s disease, Michael’s involvement in politics and the importance he places on faith and family. While “always looking up” as the sole principle for one’s life is questionable - looking down may help you to avoid tripping, or looking sideways or for that matter looking both ways may avoid a nasty accident, or valuable lessons may be learnt from looking back and looking ahead may be helpful in negotiating what the future may hold – Michael thoughtfully explains his book contains the adventures of an incurable optimist. Lance Armstrong, Christopher Reeve and Muhammad Ali are just a few of the names he mentions, people who significantly influenced him during his tran...